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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · board · mug · kick · tear · bowl

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. kick — in football
  3. tear — to rip
  4. board — to get on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — a committee
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. mug — to rob
  15. tear — from crying
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — a football final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com